24hcar: Offbeat News

Showing posts with label Offbeat News. Show all posts

Two More Ferrari 458 Italia Supercars Smashed Up

Posted by Mr Dung Monday, June 14, 2010

Only a few weeks after what was said to be the first reported crash of a Ferrari 458 Italia,two more examples of Maranello's supercar have been added to the list. There's not much information about the two separate incidents other than that one car was spotted in Spain and the other in the Czech Republic. More pictures after the jump.

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2000 Cadillac Northstar Le Mans Racer Could be Yours for $175,000

Posted by Mr Dung Wednesday, June 2, 2010

[Atscollection]

Found for sale at the Aero Toy Store Collection is this extremely rare Cadillac Northstar LMP racer from 2000. The chassis number "0LMP00005" Cadillac Le Mans race car is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter Northstar V8 said to produce some 570-horsepower. The Le Mans prototypes were built by GM for use in the American Le Mans Series as well as for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The asking price for this particular Northstar LMP is $175,000. More photos after the jump.

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Ferrari 458 Italia Themed after F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Jet Fighter

Posted by Mr Dung Tuesday, June 1, 2010

[Camshaft]

At a first glance, it appears that there's nothing really special about this 458 Italia other than it's a new Ferrari and that it's covered in dark grey vinyl wrap. However, take a closer look and things start to get interesting...
This Italian supercar was themed after the notorious F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft with the matte gray vinyl wrap incorporating a rivet-style design. Other notable features include the rivet graphics on the window and windshield frames as well as numerous other aircraft-inspired labels such as the "Heater Exhaust", "Beware of Jetblast" and "Pull to Open" [door-handle] signs. More photos after the jump.

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Dealer Selling Jean Alesi's Ferrari F1 Scuderia Tipo 642 Racer

Posted by Mr Dung Sunday, May 30, 2010

[Astcollection]

If you're looking to buy a genuine F1 race car this may be your chance. A Florida-based dealer has put up for sale a 1991 Ferrari F1 Scuderia Tipo 642 racer with chassis No. 126.
The seller claims that the car, which is powered by a 3.5-liter V12 engine linked to a seven-speed gearbox, was used in the 1991 Formula One season by French driver Jean Alesi who had then just signed for Williams Ferrari.
After being replaced by the Tipo 643, this car was rebuilt and prepared for private sale by the Ferrari factory at the end of the same season. Now it could be yours for a 'mere' US$700,000 or about €565,000 at today's exchange rates. More details and pictures after the jump.

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McLaren F1 Celebrates the Big 2-0

Posted by Mr Dung Wednesday, May 26, 2010

[Carscoop]

McLaren's F1 is 20 years old this year (18 if you consider its 1992 debut date, so it's still legal) and to celebrate, McLaren invited owners out to Woking for a dinner at its Technology Center. The highlight of the get-together has to have been the 21-car F1 roundup, featuring the largest collection of F1s ever seen together.
McLaren chairman (and anti-Bugatti spokesman) Ron Dennis was on-hand to express his own feelings about owning and driving the car: "The F1 is a technological tour-de-force and a real triumph in terms of packaging and design."
"Whether endurance racing or on road, it is supremely fast, agile and yet comfortable. Its styling is enduring and will never fade. I enjoy driving mine more today than ever before because I find its technical purity highly satisfying; the F1 remains one of McLaren's proudest achievements."
Over its twenty years on Earth, the F1 has spawned 72 road cars (64 F1s, 5 F1 LMs, and 3 F1 GTs), 28 racers (F1 GTRs), and 6 other prototypes. The F1 GTR took just three months to develop, and the 28 examples McLaren built were big time winners: the 1995 GT1 Championship and the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 13th places), both its debut seasons.
The five cars that finished at Le Mans were the inspiration for the five Papaya Orange F1 LMs, which get a "de-restricted engine" putting out 680 horsepower.
Lastly, the "Longtail" GT came out in '97 in order to meet homologation standards for the new GTR.
If McLaren's F1 weren't a household name after its impressive race history, it sure was once it became the world's fastest car (it's still the fastest naturally-aspirated car). After a 106-car production run, Mclaren decided to call it a day with the F1. After a brief hiatus working with Mercedes to create the avian SLR, the Woking wonders are back with their own purebred 911 hunter: the MP4-12C.
Still interested in an F1? The last we heard, there was a Longtail GTR for sale in the Land of the Rising Sun.

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VIDEO: 730HP Nissan GT-Rs are no Match for Bugatti Veyron 16.4

Posted by Mr Dung

[Youtube]

When it comes to straight-line acceleration, there are a few (if any...) street-legal cars in this world that can compete with the VW Group's 1,100-horsepower-strong Bugatti Veyron 16.4 supercar.
As you can see in this video that was most likely shot in Russia, even a pair of heavily-modified Nissan GT-Rs tuned to churn out some 730HP (or so it is claimed) are having a hard time keeping up with the Veyron. Of course, the Bugatti costs as much as two-dozen or so Nissan GT-Rs, but that's another tale for another time... For now, follow the jump to watch the clip.

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Hyundai Kicks Off Countdown to 2010 World Cup with i10 Football-Themed Cars

Posted by Mr Dung Saturday, May 22, 2010

Being the official car supplier of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Hyundai is doing its best to associate its cars with the sporting spectacle that kicks off on June 11. This time Hyundai's UK arm commissioned the build of two football-themed cars.
Interestingly, these two i10s were previously used by Jeremy Clarkson in his DVD 'Duel' and ended up damaged. Instead of repairing the creased panels, Hyundai decided to give both cars a second shot at fame.
Both promotional i10s are covered in artificial turf while the centre circle on the roof is home to a giant 1.5 meter-tall football. Other exterior features include the goal posts on the bonner, the soccer ball wheels and the football shoe mirrors.
Each car has a unique interior, with one featuring a 'grass' look to match the exterior, and the other a football theme, right down to the soccer-ball headrests.
Hyundai said that the i10 football cars will be used for promotional World Cup activity at various events up and down the country.

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VIDEO:Mercedes-Benz Reprises Role in Sex and the City 2 Film

Posted by Mr Dung

[Carscoop]

Question for our readers: In your opinion, how do four cougar-aged women who can't keep their panties (or their brains) on after one shot of tequila and a guy named 'Mr Big' relate to Daimler's Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products/brand?
While you think about it let us tell you that, as with the first installment of the male-snoozefest that is "Sex and the City", the sequel to the movie that hits cinemas on 27 May will see most characters driving or being driven in a bunch of Mercedes-Benz and Maybach models.
If you're still here, in addition to the Mercedes-Benz S400 HYBRID, Mr. Big (Chris North) now also drives the new E-Class Cabriolet while Samantha (portrayed by actress Kim Cattrall) ditches her GLK soft off-roader from the first film for the more masculine G-Class.